I would have liked to see him walking without a limp, and certainly without grimacing in discomfort. He gets to that point, then MAYBE he's 100% in another week. But I think he may be more than a week from getting to that point.

I think he'll definitely play, but will he have the same top-end and change of direction? I say doubtful. I believe he could be 100% for the AFCC.

I would have liked to see him walking without a limp, and certainly without grimacing in discomfort. He gets to that point, then MAYBE he's 100% in another week. But I think he may be more than a week from getting to that point.

I think he'll definitely play, but will he have the same top-end and change of direction? I say doubtful. I believe he could be 100% for the AFCC.

exactly. You guys remember how long Troy was dealing with his calf pull?

Was it ever for sure confirmed to be a contusion? If that's the case, I would assume once swelling has gone down that there's no further risk of injury (when combined with aggressive massage to break up any scar tissue).

It's been a week and a half....to be limping like that still, one hell of a kick.

I once pulled both calves (I know) playing basketball. I was 26 at the time.

I had trouble walking for 2 weeks and it was 2 months before I could run again.

I had a very, very minor strain/tear. I felt a tightness, and immediately stopped running. Walked home the last mile with mild discomfort, but only a very slight limp.

Not to compare myself to a pro athlete in his prime, but mine was tight and sore for almost a week, and probably two weeks to fully heal. I just don't look at AB now and think he'll be 100% in 2.5 weeks.

Sunday brought a bad result for the Steelers.But in the aftermath of their 27-24 loss to the Patriots, there was some good news regarding wide receiver Antonio Brown.Not only did he not need emergency surgery for compartment syndrome, he appears to have the good (better) kind of partial calf muscle tear.Calf muscle strains and partial tears are known to linger, especially in explosive athletes like Brown.

If this were a partial tear from elongation suffered while changing directions or pushing off, it could easily affect Brown for the next 4-6 weeks, which would leave him at less than 100 percent for the playoffs.By video, though, this partial muscle tear was from a direct blow and thus will have less separation of muscle fibers and a potentially quicker return.Yes, he will likely still miss the final two games of the regular season, but this gives him a good chance to be effective for the playoffs — and potentially 100 percent for a possible rematch with the Patriots.

I had a very, very minor strain/tear. I felt a tightness, and immediately stopped running. Walked home the last mile with mild discomfort, but only a very slight limp.

Not to compare myself to a pro athlete in his prime, but mine was tight and sore for almost a week, and probably two weeks to fully heal. I just don't look at AB now and think he'll be 100% in 2.5 weeks.

It's AB. His skillset requires a healthy calf. He missed last game. It's a concern. Hopefully it will all work out.

Sunday brought a bad result for the Steelers.But in the aftermath of their 27-24 loss to the Patriots, there was some good news regarding wide receiver Antonio Brown.Not only did he not need emergency surgery for compartment syndrome, he appears to have the good (better) kind of partial calf muscle tear.Calf muscle strains and partial tears are known to linger, especially in explosive athletes like Brown.

If this were a partial tear from elongation suffered while changing directions or pushing off, it could easily affect Brown for the next 4-6 weeks, which would leave him at less than 100 percent for the playoffs.By video, though, this partial muscle tear was from a direct blow and thus will have less separation of muscle fibers and a potentially quicker return.Yes, he will likely still miss the final two games of the regular season, but this gives him a good chance to be effective for the playoffs — and potentially 100 percent for a possible rematch with the Patriots.

I had a similar type of injury when I was in high school. Now granted, that was over 40 years ago, and I wasn’t a pro athlete with unlimited, top of the line medical and physical resources available to me. I was on crutches for 2 and half weeks, and it was another 2-3 weeks before I could run even reasonably well. Now I can’t remember the exact diagnosis...calf strain, tear, contusion...whatever. I just remember it hurting like all hell...

A strong possibility we’ll be without him, or with him very limited for the divisional round, but still too early to tell for sure. If anyone can recover in time it’s AB, but the last thing any of us would want is to see him compromised to the point that he re-aggravates the injury in the divisional round and is out the following week (assuming a Steelers victory). My feeling is both Brown and Bell will be needed to get by NE.